the first shortcut from what I assume was a bonfire,you can probably adjust it such that its shorter to get to the tower from there.As it is,its more or less the same length as the main path so unlocking it doesnt actually make a big difference.Unless of course taking that path leads to no enemies compared to the main one.

Nice job. You did a good job on the level. Even in prototype status I find it impressive. The controller makes a nice impression to me, especially the ladder system. Can you share the scripts for this?